Injured Kishenji walked to doc for first-aid

The security forces have been looking for him here, there and everywhere. But top Maoist leader Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji is moving around with impunity.

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Sujit Nath

Kolkata

April 17, 2010

UPDATED: April 17, 2010 11:23 IST

The security forces have been looking for him here, there and everywhere. But top Maoist leader Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji is moving around with impunity.

In an act of defiance that is bound to show the security forces in a bad light, Kishenji reportedly walked to quack Jawaharlal Mahato's place at Bhulageria village in West Midnapore on the night of March 24 to get his leg injury treated.

Mahato, who was arrested for his alleged links with the Maoists, told the police that he had treated Kishenji for a bullet wound on his left leg.

Further interrogation revealed that the Maoist leader had gone to Mahato's place with two bodyguards and left after 20 minutes. "He just walked in and, after first aid, left for a nearby forest. When he left, I didn't hear the sound of any engine. I don't know where he went," Mahato reportedly told the interrogators.

The police suspect that Kishenji avoided using a motorcycle late at night as the entire village was asleep and making a noise could have proved dangerous.

The quack claimed he had given Kishenji first aid and a high dose of a painkiller injection.

Bhulageria is also the village where People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) spokesperson Asit Mahato used to live. The police suspect Asit was also present when Kishenji was being treated.

Following his arrest, Mahato had initially claimed he was running a health camp at Mathurapur under Salboni police station to provide treatment to tribals.

But he broke down when asked why there were only painkillers and antibiotics at his health camp. The officers grew suspicious when they failed to find medicines for diseases common among tribals, such as dysentery, diarrhoea and fever.

"Forget about medicines, there was not even a single packet of glucose. Mahato then confessed that he was in touch with the Maoists, who had asked him to stock medicines required to treat bullet injuries," a senior police officer said.

Lalgarh police superintendent Manoj Verma said: "We surveyed the area where he (Mahato) used to run the camp. While interacting with the villagers, we came to know that they were never provided medicines for common ailments. We later realised that the health camp was just an eyewash. It was meant to treat the Maoists. We have evidence to prove that Mahato interacted with the rebels."

Mahato also reportedly said that Kishenji looked tired and had a glass of water before leaving for an unknown destination.

On March 24, Kishenji had sustained a bullet injury in a gunbattle with the security forces in Hatishol forest near Lakhanpur village in Lalgarh.

Police officers claimed the quack had revealed possible hideouts of the leader in the Jungal Mahal area of Salboni.

"He has also revealed the names of nearly 10 doctors in West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, Jharkhand and Kolkata who used to send medical aid to the Maoists through him," a senior police officer said.

Mahato was arrested last year but was released by the state government in a swap for Sankrail police officer Atindranath Dutta, who had been abducted by the Maoists.

Mahato had reportedly learnt the basics of medicine from a Jhargram-based doctor.

The investigators refused to reveal his name but police sources said the doctor went missing soon after Mahato's arrest.

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